Page 60 of The Queen's Serpent

“Stay there, or I’ll blow a fucking hole in your head,” I shout. I back away slowly from the three of them, keeping the one who tried to strangle me in my peripheral vision.

“Ela é louca?”The one being held at gunpoint says to his companion. Fuck, I wish I understood what they were saying. “You, move towards your companions now.” I motion with the gun towards the other two, hoping that at least one of them understands English, and my commands.

“Little girl, you are going to get yourself killed with that thing,” the one who tried to strangle me responds, as he moves in the direction of his companions with a smirk.

“You speak English? Why did you attack me?” I question with fury at him calling me a‘little girl’.Fuck him, I may be small, but I’ll still put a bullet between his eyes. I have never been so happy that my grandmother Stella insisted that my sister and I learn to shoot guns for our own protection.

“Americana,“ the tallest of the three says, and I know at least what the word means.

“Why were you hiding?” His dark eyes trail over my body, taking in my ragged appearance. “You’re hurt, you need medical attention.”

“Answer my question. Why did you sneak up and attack me?” My arm throbs painfully, and I grit my teeth, refusing to waver and give them another chance to assault me. I take in all three; all are large and in their early twenties with dark ethnic features. I don’t see any weapons visible, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them on them. I won’t allow myself to be stupid and let my guard down, because that would be a sure way to get myself killed.

The one who spoke English leers at me intimidatingly, and refuses to answer. To prove my point that I will fucking shoot them, I point the gun just over his left shoulder and pull the trigger making all three of them jump. “If I have to ask again, the next one won’t miss.”

A huge smile breaks across the psycho’s face in pleasure. “I like you already, little girl. Why don’t you put the gun down, and we can have a chat.”

“Why don’t you go to fucking hell, and answer the question before I shoot you?” I let a vicious smile cross my lips.

“Eu acho que acabei de encontrar minha alma gêmea.”He chuckles to his companions, and at my look of fury, he turnsback to me and translates, “I said to my friends that I think I just found my soulmate in the jungle of all places.”

“Keep evading my questions, and you won’t leave this jungle.” I tilt my head and grin.

He clutches his chest dramatically in response. “So beautiful and deadly. How lucky I am to have found you.” I roll my eyes at him, and his smile gets even wider, showing me bright white teeth against his tanned skin. “To answer your question,beleza, we are looking for something, a lost jewel. One of our elders sent us to search for it, so it can be brought to him safely.”

His eyes appraise me once again, and their intensity causes my skin to break out in goosebumps. “You wouldn’t know anything about a jewel in the jungle, would you, beautiful?”

“Where is your village? How far is it from where we are now?” Hope rises within me that the village is not far, and I’ll be able to reach it. Will I have to injure or kill these three, before I can get to it? I don’t know, but one thing is for certain: I won’t allow anyone to stop me.

“What will you give us if we tell you?” His gaze narrows on my chest as he licks his lips suggestively.

I will literally pull the trigger and end these motherfuckers’ lives, if they think they’re going to rape or use me for their depraved pleasure.Shit, I’ll blow my brains out before I let that happen. The days of me rolling over and allowinganyoneto use me are done. That girl died in this jungle, and this bitch has no intention of playing along. “Your lives. I won’t murder the three of you fuckers, and leave you as an offering to the jungle.”

“Ela diz que não vai nos matar e nos deixar na selva se a levarmos até a aldeia.”The three of them release hearty laughs at my expense. This fucker is not taking me seriously, and my patience is at an end. I have to get to that village to send help back to Francisco, and get out of here beforeDiego or my grandmother’s men capture me. “Ela é a joia que procurávamos.”

“Speak English, and the next words out of your mouth better be answering my questions, or you better say a prayer to whatever God you believe in.” I’m done fucking around and fire at his friend’s feet. All three of them jump in the air, and the humor disappears from their faces.

“Are you the princess? The one we seek? Where is your guide?”

“My questions first.” I watch as one of them tries to distance himself from the other two, hoping I don’t notice. I fire again, the bullet whizzing past his shoulder blade, and halting him in his tracks.

“Foda-se, okay,“ Mr. Humor raises his hands and motions to his friend to come back over. “The village is less than five miles that way,” he points in the direction over the ridge. “Our village elder sent us; a woman was to be led by a guide through the jungle to our village, where we were to ensure she left the country. You are Isabella?”

I don’t answer his question. Instead, I motion forward with the gun. “Take me to your elder and don’t try anything further, or I will send you to hell.” A cocky smile breaks over his face before he motions to his two friends to start walking. “A woman like you is hard to find,preciosa. Maybe we will keep you.”

Fat fucking chance of that, asshole. One way or another, I’m making it out of this jungle. I hold the gun tight in one hand, lean down, and grab the machete with the other. It looks like I am a Stratford, after all.

Chapter thirty-four

Issy

“Your absence has gone through me like thread through a needle. Everything I do is stitched with its color.”

W.S. Merwin

Four months later.

I turn my face up towards the sunshine, the rays warming my skin, the smell of clean, fresh spring air rejuvenating all my senses as I sit here on the beach, looking at the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. If someone had told me a year ago this is where I would be, I would have laughed in their faces, before I broke down and cried.

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